ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. drill — army training
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. drill — a practice
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. foot — a measure
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com